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Thanks to a three-game winning streak at the end of a seven-game homestand, the Wild are more firmly back in control of a playoff spot — with various projections giving them between a 70 and 80% chance of making the postseason at year's end.
Those three wins came thanks in large part to goalie Filip Gustavsson, who started all three games and allowed just five goals combined — including a 2-1 win over the Kings on Tuesday during which Gustavsson stopped 33 of 34 shots.
The season still has 25 games left, and obviously a lot can happen between now and then. But if we are thinking about what might happen, this needs to be part of the conversation as a fascinating possible dilemma: If Gustavsson keeps playing this well, and the Wild make the playoffs, who would be in net for the Wild in Game 1 of the postseason?
I brought up the notion on Wednesday's Daily Delivery podcast in the context of a potentially good problem to have — and one few would have envisioned when the year started.
If you recall, the Wild looked like they would have the same veteran tandem they ended last year with when they re-signed Marc-Andre Fleury in July. But it became clear that Cam Talbot wasn't interested in that arrangement, so GM Bill Guerin shipped him to Ottawa.
Gustavsson — a much younger but less accomplished goalie — came back to the Wild in the deal, but it seemed like there was a defined hierarchy: Fleury as the starter and Gustavsson as the backup.
What has emerged for the better part of this year, though, is a more even split — one in which Gustavsson has fared better than Fleury.
Since Nov. 19, Gustavsson is 14-4-1 with a .937 save percentage. In the same time frame, Fleury is 10-9-2 with a .898 save percentage.
Now: Gustavsson is on a hot streak and Fleury has hit a rough patch in the last two weeks. And Fleury has drawn some of the tougher assignments during the last three months, which influences their numbers.
But if these trend lines come anywhere close to staying the same for the rest of the season, and the Wild make the playoffs, the decision will be fascinating: play Fleury, the proven veteran who has won three Stanley Cups. Or play Gustavsson, who has been steadier and more productive this year?
And would Guerin and coach Dean Evason have the same opinion on which decision is correct?
The decision is a long way from needing to be made, and the biggest story in all of this is the emergence of Gustavsson as a reliable option.
To me, though, the choice would be clear: Gustavsson is the Wild's best goalie right now. If he keeps playing like this for the rest of the season, he should be the Game 1 starter.
